How a Real Estate Agent Can Market Your Home to Sell

Posted by Justin Havre on Thursday, September 5th, 2019 at 9:31am.

How Do Real Estate Agents Help Sellers Market Their Homes?Most people understand the concept of marketing, even if they're not experts in the art of the sale. The basic idea is to make a product look as appealing as possible to as many serious Riverview new home buyers as possible. When it comes to marketing a home, the seller needs to know not only who is most likely to want the home, but which features of the home they're actually going to care about. This is where a real estate agent can step in, guiding the process and doing the work that the seller may not have the time or ability to do.

Finding the Price Point

The price point of a home can serve as a powerful anchor for potential buyers. Sellers may think that they should start high (because they always have the option to come down in the future), but this is not always the right move. A real estate agent can set the price based not only on the value of the property, but also the time of year, the average demographic of the buyer, and the neighborhood.

For some homes, setting the price a little lower than an obvious number will be the best way to inspire a bidding war. In others, setting it a little higher may encourage buyers to slightly overvalue the home, which can end up benefiting the seller's bottom line.

Visual Proof

Professional photos, videos, and even virtual reality tools are the key to getting buyers to do more than just appreciate the features of the home. A real estate agent will make buyers feel as though they've already moved in. There's even technology available to help prospective buyers see what the home will look like once they finish making all their personal changes. So if the buyer wants to change the color of the kitchen from gray to purple, they can see how it changes the overall vibe of the room.

A real estate agent will know how to manipulate these tools to coax more people to show up at the Open House (and hopefully put in an offer). They can use aerial photos and short video clips to capture what makes each home unique. Most Canadian buyers aren't interested in glossy photographs of the luxury components of the home—they want practical components that offer real value to their everyday lives. Luckily, visual tools can be used for a wide variety of purposes, so both sellers and buyers get exactly what they're looking for.

Web Tools

From websites to social media, more and more buyers are looking online to learn about the available homes in their area. Whether they're in no rush or need to move quickly to accommodate a last-minute job offer, a real estate agent will take the time to brand the home to help it stand out among the pack. So if the home has a rustic feel, they'll use that aspect to their advantage when they post photos on the web. They'll play up the home's rugged qualities and find buyers who are looking for these types of homes.

Another advantage of a real estate agent is that they already know the online communities in the area. Social media groups are formed daily to accommodate local markets. Some people may be on these groups just as a way to keep up with the average home sale price in their area. Others may know someone who's buying a home and want to help. Finally, some people in these groups will be actively searching for a home at the moment. A real estate agent will take the time to establish trust on these websites before trying to find homes that cater to the demographic.

Agent Dos and Don'ts

Here are a few things to keep in mind before sifting through the available real estate agents in the area:

  • Don't necessarily hire an agent based on their overall experience. If a seller has a five-bedroom home in the city, they don't necessarily need someone with experience selling more modest homes in the suburbs.
  • Do look for an agent who seems to go the extra mile for their clients. This can mean anything from creating websites for the house to studying quirks of the property to make it more marketable.
  • Do study the agent's social media pages and look at the responses of the people in the groups. Does the agent seem trusted and respected, or do their ads come across as disruptive and inappropriate?
  • Don't neglect to research the agent's average home price sale and general online presence (e.g., reviews, website, etc). This step can tell a seller more about the professionalism and efficacy of the agent.

Marketing takes a lot of time and insider knowledge to successfully pull off, but it's absolutely worth the effort. Sellers who don't have the wherewithal to appeal to buyers should look to a real estate agent to finish the job.

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